Church members claim the deaths are God's punishment for America's evil ways.

The Manchester ordinance prohibited "picketing or other protest activities ...within three hundred (300) feet of any residence, cemetery, funeral home, church, synagogue, or other establishment during or within one (1) hour before or one (1) hour after the conducting of any actual funeral or burial service at that place."

In its review of the ordinance, the district court concluded that the ordinance was a content based regulation. The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed, finding instead that it was a regulation of places where speech many occur.

The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with the district court that Manchester had no significant interest "in protecting funeral attendees from unwanted communication." It reasoned thatOlmer v. City of London had "unequivocally refused to recognize the government's significant interest in protecting unwilling listeners outside the residential context."

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Attorney Tony Rother, who represented Westboro Baptist church members in the case, said, "These broad laws that prevent standing with a sign silently on a sidewalk do not further any government interest that would justify setting aside the First Amendment," reports CBS St. Louis.

Considering the group's success in court so far, do you think there are legal grounds under which the Westboro Baptist Church protests could be limited?

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U.S. Eighth Circuit features news and information from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, which hears appeals from U.S. District Courts in Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. This blog also features news that would be of interest to legal professionals practicing in the 8th Circuit. Have a comment or tip? Write to us.